blaney



Dec. 22; 1925- W. T. BLANEY bus'r SEPARATOR Filed July 7, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 s S a h Q Q .N

I IVzZZtamY'BZane)! Dec. 22 1925. 1,566,518

Wv T. BLANEY DUST SEPARATOR V Filed July 7, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a a QN N NM. m N N E 7 MN.

w s 2%., N w M Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

PATENT oFF -ics.

WILLIAM T. BLANEY, OF PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO, CANADA. 7

' :oUsT SVEPARATOR.

Application filed July '7,

To all 10. 2 am it may concern.

Be it known that 1, WILLIA T. BLANEY, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Peterborough, in the Province of On-. tario. Canada, have invented a new and useful Dust Separator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for sepa rating dust from air. portant uses to which the invention may be put is that of purifying the air in cereal mills and grain elevators. I

' The invention comprises numerous distinctive features, among which may be mentioned a provision for the separate removal from the air of coarse and fine dust; a provision for automatically relieving pressure within the air-purifying and dust-collecting hopper in case such pressure is raised to an abnormal point due to a dust explosion within said hopper or within any pipe connected therewith; and a provision for'bodily oscillating and jarring the hopper to dislodge any dust clinging to the fabric employed as a filter for the dust-laden air.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved dust separator.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation transverse to that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation, the plane of which is indicated by line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, taken upon line H of Fig. 3.

In these views the reference character 1 designates the cylindrical upper portion of a hopper, and 2 the downwardly converging walls of its lower portion. A cover 3 is normally held firmly in place upon the hopper by coiled springs 4, extending externally of the hopper between brackets 5 and 6, secured respectively to the cover and portion 1 of the hopper. These springs will yield in case of an abnormal pressure acting within the hopper asthe result of a dust explosion, the cover 3 being thus permitted to unseat under such conditions and relieve the pressure. 7 designates an inner hopper, corresponding in shape to the hopper 1 and interiorly spaced both from the sides and cover thereof. 8 and 9 are plates fitted in the upper and lower ends of the cylindrical upper portion of the inner hopper, and 10 designates the chamber formed between said One of the more im- 1923. Serial No. 650,045.

plates. Through said chamber are passed a plurality of fabric tubes ll-parallel to the common axis of the hoppers 1 and 7, the

ing from the space .13 between the upper plate 8 and the cover 3 to the-lower, inclined portion of the inner hopper. Each of the tubes 11 has a short metallic extension above the upper plate 8, as indicated at 14, said extensions flaring to form inlets to the tubes. The lower portions of said inlets are cylindrical to fit the openings 12 and their upper portions are square and fit snugly, one

against another so as to leave no interstices through which dust may lodge upon the upper plate 8. This feature is best shownin the right-hand portionof Fig. 4. 15 is an annular baffle carried by the cover 3 and depending between the portion 1 of the outer hopper and the corresponding upper portion of the inner hopper, said baflfle being spaced from both of said hoppers.

In the operation of the invention, as so far described dust-laden air is admitted to the outer hopper through an inlet 16 formed in the portion 1 adjacent the top thereof. As is indicated by thearrows in Fig. 3, the air spreads around the baltle 15 and flows under the latter, rising within the annular space between the battle and inner hopper. The change in direction from a downward to an upward flow, as the air passes under the baflle 15 results in the coarser particles of dust being thrown out of the air current pass through the upper plate 8 and through I the cover 3, opening above the latter to the atmosphere. Preferably said pipes are downwardly extended into the lower, portion of the chamber 10, since otherwise the air would tend to pass primarily through the upper portions of the fabric'tubes, in

seeking the most direct path to the pipes 17. Through location of the inlets of said pipes in the lower portions of the chamber '10, there results a more uniform distribution of the air in filtering through the tubes. -The fabric of the latter is of a weave selected to allow the air to seep through without affording a passage to the dust. The latter lodges momentarily against the interior surfaces of the tubes 11, and is shaken free of said surfaces by shocks to which the entire described structure is periodically subjected, as will presently be described.

Proceeding again with the structural description, 18 is a trough carrying the hopper 12, and forming a receptacle for the coarse dust which discharges downwardly from the space 16. .Vithin the bottom portion of said trough, there is disposed a spiral conveyor for continuously ejecting the dust from said trough. Above the conveyor 20, a somewhat smaller conveyor 19 works within a tubular casing 21, with which the hopper 7 has a discharge connection, said casing passing through the trough 18 with sufficient clearance from the sides thereof to afford an ample downward passageway for the coarse dust. The discharge end portions of the two conveyors 19 and 20 enter tubular housings 22 exteriorly carried by the trough 13, having discharge openings 23 and 24. Between each conveyor and the corresponding discharge opening, a member 25 obstructs the upper portion of each housing 22, said member presenting to the advancing dust an inclined surface 26 for deflecting the dust to the lower portion of the housing; A valve 27 is pivoted upon each member 25, obstructing the passage beneath said member, when in normal position. The joint effect of each member 25 and the valve 27 which it carries is to hold back the dust and pack the same in a mass between each conveyor and the corresponding member 25. This mass e stablishes a seal preventing the escape of air from either the inner or outer hopper through the housings 22. The described masses of dust advance gradually beneath the obstructions 25. the valves 27 yielding to permit such advance, and intermittently the forwardly projecting portion of the mass drops through the discharge opening 23 or 24.

28 is a base frame upon whichthe entire described structure is pivotally mounted, the pivotal axis coinciding with that of the conveyor 19. Thus it will be seen in Fig. 3 that the housing 22 of said conveyor forms one supporting journal while the opposite end of the conveyor shaft forms another.

7 A train of gears 29 is adapted to drive the two conveyors from a shaft 30 upon which adrive pulley 31 is mounted.

There will be described a provision for oscillating the hopper members about the aforesaid pivotal axis. A chain 32 engaging suitable sprocket wheels establishes a drive from the shaft of conveyor 19 to a counter-shaft 33 journaled in bracket extensions 34 of the base frame. A yoke member 35, journaled in the extensions 34 around said shaft, carries at its mid-point a socket 36, wherein is secured the lower end of a tubular upwardly extending member 3?. Said tubular member terminates adjacent a bracket 38 fast upon the hopper 1-2, just above its portion 2. To said bracket is pivoted by a pin 39 the upper end of a pit-- man 40, which extends through said tube and bears at its lower end upon an eccentric 41 fast upon the shaft 33. Thus said eccentric acts during each revolution to elevate the pitman 40 and thereby swing the entire hopper assembly on the axis of the conveyor 19 from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 to the dash line position in said figure. The hopper is returned to its upright position by a spring 40 coiled about the lower portion of the pitman 40 and compressed between a bushing 41 fast within the tube 37 and a shoulder upon the lower end portion of the pitman. Thus said spring urges the pitman downwardly and consequently tends to restore the upright position of the hopper. Preferably the pitman has a forked extension 42 astride the cam, carrying a roller 42 for engagement with the cam 41.

43 is a cushioning member formed of rubber or the like, embracing the pitman just above the tube 37, said cushioning member receiving the impact of the bracket 38 as the hopper assembly completes its return oscillatory movement.

It will now be evident that the described apparatus is adapted to separately remove the coarse and fine dust from the current of air supplied toth-e inlet 16, throwing the two grades of dust down respectively to the conveyors 19 and 20 for separate delivery to the-outlets 23 and 24. Leakage of air to said outlets is prevented by massing the dust against the members 25' and valves 27, the latter yielding to allow the seal-forming masses to advance to said outlets. The two conveyors are continuously driven, while the device is in operation, and the location of the axis of oscillation of the hopper coincident with the axis of the larger conveyor solves the problem of maintaining a steady drive to the two conveyors in all positions of oscillation of the hopper.

It is to be noted that the invention does not rely merely on oscillatory motion of the hopper assembly to dislodge dust from the interior surfaces of the fabric tubes, the loosening of the dustbemg accomplished primarily by the shock and vibration to which the entire hopper assembly is subjected as the spring 34 abruptly seats the bracket 38 against the cushion 43.

The fact that there exists only a moder ate difference of pressure within the tubes 11, and in thechamber 1O surrounding the tubes, insures a gradual seeping of the air through the tubes and minimizes the tendfrom the air is in many cases of considerable value, this being part1cularly the case 111' view of the separation and separate discharge of the coarse and fine material by the invention.

l Vhat I claim is:

. 1. A dust separator,comprising adjacent chambers, one of which has an inlet for dustladen air, the" other having" an outlet for purified air, a filter member through which said chambers have restricted comm'uniczu tion, said chambers-and filter member forming a unit assembly, and means for oscillating said unit assembly to dislodge dust from said filter member.

2. In a dust separator, a chamber having an inlet for dust-laden air and an outlet for purified air, and further having a dust outlet, means within the lower portion of said chamber for ejecting dust through said opening, a deflector forthe dust adjacent to said opening and presenting to the advancing dust a surface converging toward the axis of the discharge opening in the direction of discharge through said opening, and a valve member mounted upon said defiector and yieldably obstructing the balance of the opening. 1 n

3. In a dust separator, a. unit assembly comprising adjacent chambers, one having an inlet for dust-laden air, and the other an outlet for purified air, and a filter member through which said chambers communicate, and further comprising a receptacle for dust remove-d by said "filter member from the air, and means working within said'recep tacle for discharging dust therefrom, means for oscillating said unit assembly to shake the dust free from said'filter member, and a drive connection to said dust discharge i the specified parts forming a unit assembly.

means pivotally mounting said assembly to swing on an axis coincident with that of one of said conveyors, and means for peri-' with an oscillatory separating chamber, hav

ing an inlet for dust-laden air, of a filter carried by' said chamber, a spring tending .to' normally establish one limiting'position of oscillation of said chamber, means for periodically actuating said chamber to its other limiting position, and means forncush ioning the return movement effected by said spring. P j

6. In a dust separator, a tubular filter member, means for delivering air'under pressure Within said filter member,and a chamber surroundingthe filter member hav ing an outlet to the atmosphere proportioned ing a receptacle in its lower portion forl;

separated material, a spiralconveyor work ing in said receptacle for removing the separated material therefrom, the axis of said conveyor being coincident with the pivotal axis of thehopper, said receptacle having a tubular outlet through which the conveyor" delivers said material and said outlet forming a, journal member for the hopper, and means for oscillating the hopper upon said axis to assist in the separation of material.

9. In a dust separator, inner and outer hopper members, substantially concentric and having an annular passage. therebetween, and having a space between their tops in communication with said passage, the

outer member having an air inlet in communication with said passage, an annular, I baflie earned by the outer hopper member and extending into said annular space, compelling a circuitous flow of the air from said inlet to the space between, the tops of said hopper members, a purified air chamber in the upper portion of the inner hopper, the lower portion of the two hoppers forming dead air spaces, a plurality of tubular air filter members downwardly extending through said chamber and opening into said dead air space of the inner hopper, receptacles for fine and coarse dust respectively beingformed in the lower ends of said hoppers,'said purified air chamber being pro vided with a suitable outlet.

10. In a dust separator, a purified air.

chamber, a plurality of tubular filter mem bers extending in substantial parallelism through said chamber, means for delivering dust-laden air to corresponding ends of said filter members, a dead air space communicating with said filter members at their other so 7. In asep'arator, a pivotal hopper havends, and an outlet in communication with said purified air chamber, in the portion thereof remote from the filter member inlets.

11. A dust separator comprising a separating chamber, a pivotal support for said chamber, a filter member Within said chamber, and means for oscillating said chamber upon said support to dislodge dust from said filter member.

12. A dust separator comprising a separating chamber, a filter member carried thereby, a pivotal. support for said chamber, and means for oscillating said chamber upon said support to dislodge dust from said filter member. I

13. A dust separator comprising a separatingchamber, a filter member carried thereby, a pivotal support for said chamber, means for oscillating said chamber to dislodge dust from the filter member, and a conveyor rotatable about the pivotal axis of said chamber for discharging dislodged dust.

14. A dust separator comprising an oscillatory'separating chamber, a filter'member -carried thereby, a spring urging said chamher to one of its limiting positions of oscillation, and means for periodically actuating said chamber to the other of said limiting positions.

15. A dust separator comprising a pivotal chamber having a receptacle for separated material, means centered substantially at the pivotal axis 01"- said chamber for removing separated material, and means for oscillating said chamber upon said axis to assist 'in the separation of the material. A

16. A dust separator comprising a base, a unit assembly movably carried by said base comprising 'a chamber having an air inlet and outlet, and means Within said chamber for filtering air passing through said chamber, and mechanism for moving said assembly as a unit relative to the base to dislod e dust from said filtermeans.

1 A dust separator as set forth in claim WILLIAM T. BLANEY, 

